As we wait two weeks for the SAN FRANCISCO 49ers to derail the CHIEFS express, let's take a moment to reflect on what we saw the past few weeks.

The one race that no athlete can win is the one against father time and that fact was experienced this season by TOM BRADY, DREW BREES, PHILLIP RIVERS and ELI MANNING. It's sad when the greatest of all time can't throw more than forty yards and really sad when all of them don't produce in the last two minutes of the game.

Now don't get me wrong, they don't suck (well, maybe rivers does) but they have all fallen off the top shelf and can no longer be considered elite. I've had a five level rating system for years: excellent, above average, average, below average and the final was.....you just suck. MITCH TRUBISKY would fall into the last category but these four would be average/above average.

BRADY & BREES have just gotten old, MANNING was never more than above average but he was a winner and RIVERS was explosive for ten years but time & attitude have done him in. (weird dude with 9 freaking kids...who does that anymore??) MANNING saw the light and retired this week, RIVERS moved lock, stock and barrel to florida and may also be retired, BRADY is a free agent and BREES has been approached to do tv work as he looks at his 41st birthday. he does have a year left on his contract if he feels like it.

So it looks like it's time to say goodbye to four guys (or maybe just 2 or 3) who won nine super bowls and provided football fans with a lot of fun for almost EIGHTY collective years at quarterback.

a little bragging for me from last sunday.  if you're a gambler, you'll appreciate this:

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -7  10 UNITS    +10

OVER 52                   3 UNITS            +3

PARLAY THE TWO ABOVE     3 UNITS      +7.8

SAN FRANCISCO -7       7 UNITS          +7

PARLAY KC, SF AND OVER 52     2 UNITS       +12

winner winner chicken dinner!                          +39.8

and that my friends, is what's known as a YAKAPOOLA!!!

As i get ready to head south, the chicago sports scene is a mixed bag of optimism and head scratching. 

THE BULLS are absolutely terrible and EVERYONE'S job is on the line. After many years, i just gave up my first row tickets and i'll find something else to do with ten grand.

The CUBS are using the KRIS BRYANT arbitrator situation as an excuse to do nothing in the off season and that's an insult to even the dumbest of cub fans. They have absolutely no bullpen and for whatever reason, refuse to ship out WILLSON CONTRERAS & KYLE SCHWARBER. you have to "give to get" but the cubs do zip. And don't buy that crap about the luxury tax....the cubs are worth THREE BILLION DOLLARS. the YANKEES pay that tax every year and make frequent appearances in the post season and once you get to the dance, anything can happen. BUT DON'T WORRY BECAUSE NEW MANAGER DAVID ROSS SAYS THIS IS A WORLD SERIES TEAM! maybe in williamsport........... 

THE BLACKHAWKS are growing with their youth movement and putting on a push for the last playoff spot. baby steps in hockey but the final spot is better than not going at all. isn't that right, north siders?

The BEARS are still a mess and have very little wiggle room with the salary cap so watch for them to start dumping salary with saying goodbye to the likes of PRINCE AMUKAMARA and save 9 million, TAYLOR GABRIEL saves you 7.5 and the retirement of KYLE LONG puts 9.6 back in the till. Add that to the departing CHASE DANIEL'S 6 MILLION and you suddenly have 32 million available to plug some holes.  

we'll see how RYAN PACE screws this up.  

ALL THE EXCITEMENT IS MOVING 8 miles south to guaranteed rate field where THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX are prepared for a return to respectability. Numerous additions have brought power and defensive stability to the south side and every sox fan has his fingers crossed that the clubhouse dynamic will be positive and not detract from the product on the field. Vegas predicts them to win 84 games and i'll take that in a heart beat! I don't think they can make the playoffs this year but 84 wins would set the table for 2021.

and in the WNBA, the chicago sky announced.................HA HA HA, just kidding again! who cares?

Stay warm and remember that baseball and I return at the same time. ADIOS!

ALL SORTS OF THOUGHTS

I'm very curious. why don't the republicans want more witnesses to testify? what are they afraid of? if little donnie is so innocent, it won't matter who testifies but we all know they're holding their breath because if witnesses are allowed, the American public will see the real little donnie. Btw, as i understand it, the dems need 4 senators to jump ranks and two already have raised eyebrows. Without allowing more testimony, he walks.
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I heard people bitching this week about the winter. we've had only a third of our normal snow and temps have been seasonally mild for the last two months. people, it's the middle of freaking january, you live in Illinois and it's supposed to be cold. just shut up.
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Blind leading the blind? DAVID ROSS is the new cubs manager and he says the team is going to the world series. the same team that failed to make the playoffs and have done NOTHING in the off season to improve the team. I can't wait for the season to start.
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Speaking of the cubs, they start their own tv channel in february but have not come to an agreement with COMCAST, which is the leading provider in northern illinois.
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Special shout out to my long time friend DONNA THE BARTENDER who is battling breast cancer. she just finished chemo and starts radiation next month. keep smiling kid!
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Becky & I visited HUATULCO, MEXICO in early december and it's drop dead beautiful. check out the price.....8 days and 7 nights of all-inclusive hotel plus round trip air and shuttles to & from the airport. stayed at the gorgeous BARCELO HOTEL which has two swimming pools and they aggressively restrict kids to 'their pool' and even fence them in!! great management to keep the little bastards away from me while i sample every drink on the menu.  oh, you want the price? LOL $1000.00 per person non-stop from o'hare. 😮😀
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1917 is a great film. see it on the big screen. the cinematography will pick up gold on oscar night along with JOAQUIM PHOENIX as best actor
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MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT wants to pour millions into the englewood neighboorhood to help upgrade the standard of living.  mayor, you're a smart cookie but it's the highest crime/murder rate in chicago.  to quote an African-American store owner after another senseless murder last week, "This is just niggers shooting niggers and then shooting again and again. You can't teach niggers nuttin."  

mayor, you would be better off moving the good families to better neighborhoods and letting the gangs rot. don't waste your dollars in englewood because it's a wasteland with 40% boarded up buildings and houses and you think you can make people WANT to move there? niggers being niggers are a waste of time & money. 
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Megan won't be called 'your highness' anymore. do you think she cares after escaping that hellhole known as England?
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If you want to go 'whaaaaaaaat?!?!, just find the recent article revealing how much it costs taxpayers for trump's weekend golf trips?  ok, i'll tell you.  just for starters, 15 million to the local police force and then another ....get ready.......102 million dollars for secret service, etc.

and here's the best part. trump only goes to his own clubs/hotels and that's where the all of the security staff eat & sleep and guess who makes the profit from that? In case you're wondering, Obama spent 13 million total in 8 years for his golf trips. and doesn't own any hotels.
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Australia can't catch a break. wildfires continue on the west coast and now the east coast got 11 inches of rain in one day and that area is totally flooded. add that to one billion rotting animal carcasses and that makes it real ugly.
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and finally, the last of my useless information.....🐀🐀🐀🐀this coming saturday is HAPPY NEW YEAR in china where it's the year of the rat.
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Maybe a KANSAS CITY/SAN FRANCISCO super bowl?
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I'm heading to Mexico soon so hang tough for another couple of months and spring will be here.  I promise. 
ADIOS AMIGOS!!!🌞🍤🍓🍍🍍👙👣

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY 2019/20

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I thought i'd take a stroll through life in general and put my thoughts in the brackets listed above.

THE GOOD-- Christmas lights on houses

THE BAD-- Millennials have forsaken the holiday season

THE UGLY--Illinois in winter with no snow on the ground

G--Becky's oatmeal raisin cookie recipe

B--The Chicago Bears coaches,administrators and owners

U--women wearing clothes two sizes small (any walmart)

G--Barb's cheese cake recipe

B--forgetting to drain the outside water lines before winter

U--Trump's attitude towards women

G--Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot

B--almost every Bears game this season

U--Donna the bartender's garage in Salem

G--Christmas eve services

B--25 minute Christmas eve sermons-i know why i'm there

U-- almost any Mitch Trubisky performance

G--peanut butter girl scout cookies

B--Becky's attempt at fancy french toast (ask her!)

U--litter

G--my long time friends (you know who you are)

B--people not taking care of their property

U--summers in Florida

G--Bad movie night at Barb & Tony's

B--Bad movie night at Barb & Tony's

U--black friday

G--Donna the bartender is getting better

B--Sandy has to have a knee replacement

U--any scars (except on guys....macho)

G--electric cars

B--the price tag on electric cars

U--rush hour traffic no matter what car you drive

G--the White Sox rebuild

B--the Bulls, Blackhawks and the Bears

U--wrigley field. what a dump

G--the economy

B--not many houses available for sale

U--the political commercials over the next 10 months

ok, that's it. stay safe & warm & we'll talk later!